Muineachán V Ard Mhaca USFC

[The Iceman]

Poor poor performance. Fair play to Hearty who really looked good yesterday and has obviously got his fire back.
Duffy looked fantastic and never gave up.
Great opening 15 mins then went to the dogs.

Seen Onion Bag on the TV - you're a real celeb!

[Onion Bag]

Poor poor performance. Fair play to Hearty who really looked good yesterday and has obviously got his fire back.
Duffy looked fantastic and never gave up.
Great opening 15 mins then went to the dogs.

Seen Onion Bag on the TV - you're a real celeb!

i got some amount of texts alright, i havent seen it myself yet, it was about the highlight of the day, getting on tv

In fact i was on tv as often as some of the Armagh players yesterday

[RealSpiritof98]

can't even begin to talk about that performance, whats this shite with Paul Hearty being a positive, right he didnt have a bad game but he lay down for the goal, the replay shows him on th ground before the ball is kicked

[ardchieftain]

A thoroughly deserved victory for Monaghan but they must win an Ulster title now. I hope they do so.

As for Armagh - where does one start ?
Stevie and Jamie Clarke done well with the precious few balls put into them so they avoid criticism but apart from them only Paul Duffy can hold his head up today. There were one or two others who played ok but ok doesn't cut it in the chamionship.
The thing that is irking the life out of me is Armagh's lack of fight. I found it embarrassing. The body language said it all and the signs were there from just before Monaghan's goal. The defence looked like they'd never played with each other before.
Midfield - i've been critical of them for a while but gave them the benefit of the doubt after a few decent performances recently but they were exposed as decidedly average today.
We don't have a half forward line. AT ALL.
The sending off was the wrong decision. A lad goes into deliver a fair shoulder, his opponent turns into him and because of being a split second out the lad's game is over. ? Gaelic Football is being ruined.
The ref was cac. He didn't cost Armagh the game so it's not sour grapes. He booked several players from both sides for nothing. His instructions came from croke park though. I fear for the game of gaelic football, i really despair

Oh, and the armagh county board and their snub of paul grimley - well done. poetic justice in a way yesterday

Go and win Ulster Monaghan

[OverThePostsAWide]

I find it difficult to understand why people are annoyed with the ref using his assistants. Surely this should be a good thing?

Pure bitterness and irrational hatred? 

According to some, not only was he wrong in his decision to issue a red card but he was extra wrong not to make the wrong decision decisively and with certitude

We haven't a hope if a referee is lambasted for seeking a second opinion on a crucial marginal call. A call that the many professional pundits (not too mention the many more unprofessional pundits here) could not agree on.

Well done. You've also missed the point.

Not at all. I "got" the point - I just didn't agree with it ...even after the third time 

Still, not much point trying to have a rational discussion about it I suppose...

...Sums the useless shite up really.

[Sandy Hill]

can't even begin to talk about that performance, whats this shite with Paul Hearty being a positive, right he didnt have a bad game but he lay down for the goal, the replay shows him on th ground before the ball is kicked

In the context of yesterday's match and compared to the other 15 - that's all! I still have serious concerns about him.

[Orior]

I thought there was some great catching and long kicking in this game by both sides.

Armagh I love to watch as their players are real men. They have rippling bodies and have obviously spent a long time in the gym working on their torsos and arm muscles and shoulder reps. However, when it's a very sunny day they seem to sweat a lot more and are gasping away for breadth whilst smaller boys like Freeman and Hanratty are bouncing about like little cheeky lambs.

As much as Armagh are a sight for sore eyes, I think their whole management set up needs to be aware than big men don't neccessarily deliver the big package when things get hot.

On another note, did anyone else see the sign on the M1 outside the slip road sign before Junction 2. It said A55 Outer Ring. It looked like Ass Outer Ring !!!! I laughed and laughed.

Not bad ONeill. But what about bringing back farneyboy?

[magpie seanie]

I just want to take back what I said (much) earlier on this thread about the sending off. I don't think any connection was made with the elbow - think it came up after impact. I think Woods nose got busted because his head kind of buckled on impact and his nose hit the top of Mallon's shoulder or collar bone area. Mallons two feet were on the ground at time of impact so it mightnot actually have been a free. It looked bad because Woods wasn't expecting it and had only one foot on the ground. May not have been shoulder to shoulder completely but was defo hip to hip and the rules say "side to side" I think.

That's just my take for what its worth.

[OverThePostsAWide]

can't even begin to talk about that performance, whats this shite with Paul Hearty being a positive, right he didnt have a bad game but he lay down for the goal, the replay shows him on th ground before the ball is kicked

Jaysus, boy are you Armagh boys sore on your keepers. Will you never forgive him?  You're nearly as sore on your keepers as Tyrone 

The ball hit him on the thigh FFS! If the shot had been 6 inches lower and it would have been hailed as a great save by everyone (apart from you, obviously). That's what makes Freeman such a good goal getter.

At least he didn't come out feet first making himself narrow (and dangerous) like most county keepers (particularly of the "play outfield for their club" variety).

And what about saving the point? Armagh would have been stuffed by 13 points if wasn't for his heroics yesterday 

[cornerback]

I just want to take back what I said (much) earlier on this thread about the sending off. I don't think any connection was made with the elbow - think it came up after impact. I think Woods nose got busted because his head kind of buckled on impact and his nose hit the top of Mallon's shoulder or collar bone area. Mallons two feet were on the ground at time of impact so it mightnot actually have been a free. It looked bad because Woods wasn't expecting it and had only one foot on the ground. May not have been shoulder to shoulder completely but was defo hip to hip and the rules say "side to side" I think.
That's just my take for what its worth.

This was changed in the new rules, a charge is now defined as "shoulder to shoulder" rather than "side to side"

[020304 Tir Eoghain]

A thoroughly deserved victory for Monaghan but they must win an Ulster title now. I hope they do so.

As for Armagh - where does one start ?
Stevie and Jamie Clarke done well with the precious few balls put into them so they avoid criticism but apart from them only Paul Duffy can hold his head up today. There were one or two others who played ok but ok doesn't cut it in the chamionship.
The thing that is irking the life out of me is Armagh's lack of fight. I found it embarrassing. The body language said it all and the signs were there from just before Monaghan's goal. The defence looked like they'd never played with each other before.
Midfield - i've been critical of them for a while but gave them the benefit of the doubt after a few decent performances recently but they were exposed as decidedly average today.
We don't have a half forward line. AT ALL.
The sending off was the wrong decision. A lad goes into deliver a fair shoulder, his opponent turns into him and because of being a split second out the lad's game is over. ? Gaelic Football is being ruined.
The ref was cac. He didn't cost Armagh the game so it's not sour grapes. He booked several players from both sides for nothing. His instructions came from croke park though. I fear for the game of gaelic football, i really despair

Oh, and the armagh county board and their snub of paul grimley - well done. poetic justice in a way yesterday

Go and win Ulster Monaghan

Sludden doesn't need any directives from CP to fcuk up a game. He's been consistent in that regard since someone
gave him a whistle.

[OverThePostsAWide]

I just want to take back what I said (much) earlier on this thread about the sending off. I don't think any connection was made with the elbow - think it came up after impact. I think Woods nose got busted because his head kind of buckled on impact and his nose hit the top of Mallon's shoulder or collar bone area. Mallons two feet were on the ground at time of impact so it mightnot actually have been a free. It looked bad because Woods wasn't expecting it and had only one foot on the ground. May not have been shoulder to shoulder completely but was defo hip to hip and the rules say "side to side" I think.

That's just my take for what its worth.

Jaysus Magpie, where have you been the last couple of weeks? Late building your nest for the spring?

Summary of Playing Rule Changes 2010:
6.   Charge – A charge is now defined as "shoulder to shoulder" rather than "side to side"

There's a rumour going about that keeper's can now use a kicking tee device for kick outs, but I saw those cheating goalkeeping b*stards kicking a wide ball from the 13m line! The f**king cheek!

[red hander]

I'd luv to hear Fearon's take on the Orangemen's humiliation ... probably all Tyrone's fault 

[Benny Barnaveld]

As I mentioned in an earlier post I think all the pidgeons came home to roost.
Issues that were minor niggles during the league manifested themselves and resulted in that mess witnessed yesterday.
Such as;

Hearty                         Going to be hard to block a shot when lying in a pile on the goalline
A.Mallon                       Another poor and uncharacteristic performances
Unsettled Corner           The second corner back issue, Shannon should have started ahead of Martin
Midfield                        Disaster again
Mackin                         10 good mins against a tired Down time
A.Kernan                      Not working. Awful today
Henderson                   No sign at all
HF Line                       No Scores

Combined with a lack of fitness, effort and tactical awareness.
Also a paralysed management team who cannot see the writing on the wall.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I just want to take back what I said (much) earlier on this thread about the sending off. I don't think any connection was made with the elbow - think it came up after impact. I think Woods nose got busted because his head kind of buckled on impact and his nose hit the top of Mallon's shoulder or collar bone area. Mallons two feet were on the ground at time of impact so it mightnot actually have been a free. It looked bad because Woods wasn't expecting it and had only one foot on the ground. May not have been shoulder to shoulder completely but was defo hip to hip and the rules say "side to side" I think.

That's just my take for what its worth.

I've changed my mind a couple of times with it. At the match I thought it definitely wasn't a red. Watching the Sunday Game last night I thought the ref might have had a case but I've looked at it a couple of times on iplayer and I agree with Seanie's analysis. It was a shoulder, not an elbow. He didn't catch him square in the shoulder (though he fully intended to) so yellow card at most. What's so frustrating is that Trevor Mortimer did the exact same thing on Saturday night and got a yellow.